Bathurst Pineapple Industry Set For Growth

A unique microclimate in the southern Eastern Cape has given rise to a niche cropping industry that requires intensive precisionproduction over a five- to seven-year cycle. Sabrina Dean paid a visit to large pineapple producer Mark Harris to find out more.

- Sabrina Dean

Driving through Bathurst, you are in no doubt that you have crossed the frontier into pineapple territory. On the edge of the town is a giant, man-made pineapple: a remarkably realistic fibreglass and steel structure 16,5m high.

According to Mark Harris, the largest pineapple producer in South Africa, this is the most southerly pineapple production region in the world. It accounts for 70% of South Africa’s pineapple crop by weight, with the focus on production of Smooth Cayenne, a cultivar used primarily for juicing. Queen, the most popular variety for eating, is produced mainly in the Hluhluwe area of KwaZulu-Natal. The southerly Bathurst pineapples take longer to grow than those produced by the world’s major growers, such as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. The additional growing time leads to higher acidity levels and an intense flavour, which ensures a strong demand by juice manufacturers overseas.

LIFE-CHANGING PARTNERSHIPS

Harris hails from Welkom in the Free State, and moved to the Bathurst area in the 1980s after finishing his studies in agriculture at Cedara College of Agriculture and working as an extension officer at Langeberg Co-op.

After two years, he decided to start his own farming venture and bought a small lifestyle farm near Bathurst from his father.

From there, he forged the partnerships that have made him South Africa’s largest pineapple producer.

One such partnership was established when he married Anne née Purdon, a direct descendant of Bathurst’s pineapple pioneer, Charles Purdon. The other was a lifelong partnership with fellow pineapple producer Colin Smithers.

Harris speaks fondly of Smithers, who was both business partner and mentor. The two formally consolidated their farming interests in 1988 and 1989, establishing Langholm Farms (Pty) Ltd, which they operated together for about 30 years.